The surging stock market rally not only is repairing personal balance sheets and 401(k) accounts. It is also defusing the corporate pension crisis.

The funded status of the typical US corporate pension plan in February rose 0.4 percentage points to 88 percent, according to monthly statistics published by BNY Mellon Asset Management.    

The surprise discount rate increase last month and the FOMC  discussions over when to begin reducing its balance sheet have really highlighted the importance of transparency in how and when policymakers plan to return things to normal -- whatever that normal may be.

Whenever there is any perceived shift in fiscal or monetary policy, there is a quick reaction in debt market spreads. The current lack of a clear exit strategy is creating its own volatility in the markets.